Keynsham Civic Centre is the Best of the Best

Keynsham Civic Centre, headquarters for Bath and North East Somerset Council, has claimed the top prize at the 2015 British Council for Offices Awards.

The Centre took out ‘Best of the Best’, as well as ‘Best Corporate Workplace’ at the national award ceremony held in London.

Judges highlighted the project for its environmental sustainability, its requirement for low maintenance, and its flexible workspace. They also noted the Centre has served as a catalyst for regeneration for Keynsham, near Bath.

Scott Rushford, the Civic Centre’s project engineer from Max Fordham, was delighted with the win but not surprised. ‘There has been a great deal of effort go into this project and I’m thrilled that it’s taken the prize at the BCO Awards,’ he said. ‘This is a truly ground-breaking building and it will serve as an exemplar for sustainable design in this country.’

Keynsham Civic Centre and One Stop Shop, to give it the official name, is targeting a DEC A rating (Display Energy Certificate) after its first two years of use. It is the first building in the UK designed to achieve this rating using the Soft Landings methodology. This approach means the project team is contractually obligated to deliver a building that actually meets its energy targets in use, rather than merely in theory.

The Head of Max Fordham’s Sustainability Team, Tamsin Tweddell said Keynsham Civic Centre was a worthy winner of the BCO Award. ‘It’s an endorsement of the Soft Landings approach as well as the commitment from the client, the Bath and North East Somerset Council, to build something truly remarkable,’ Tamsin explained. ‘The aim for this building is to deliver a DEC A rating (Display Energy Certificate) after two years of use. Initial monitoring suggests we are set to reach that goal.’

The British Council for Offices (BCO) is the UK’s leading member organisation representing the interests of those who occupy, design, build, own or manage offices in the UK.